See your favorite Champions teams as… Champions
Riot·12/11/2014, 11:39:08 PM·1 votes·20,455 views
CJ Entus is the Counter Logic Gaming of Korea.
It’s a saying that has been tossed around ever since both teams earned a reputation for not living up to hype. There’s just something we love about making comparisons in sports -- it’s a fun thought exercise, and it makes for great banter. There are quite a few basketball fans among the LoLesports crew, and we’ve had some lively discussions over whether Flame is more like Kobe Bryant or Kevin Durant (he’s totally KD, by the way, since Kobe has actually won stuff).
Here’s a fun idea though - what if we compared our favorite teams to some of League of Legends’ very own champions? We’ll get you started with Korea’s eight OGN teams, but feel free to drop your own ideas in the comments.
If you were to capture the spirit of SK Telecom T1 in one champion, it would be Zed. Not only was Zed the champion with which superstar mid laner Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok captivated the world, SKT T1’s historical performance as a team has been eerily similar to Zed’s popularity as a champion. In the 2013 World Championship, Zed was an essential champion that could not be allowed in the hands of opponents. True to form, SKT T1 completely crushed their opposition, only losing three games in the entire tournament (none of which, obviously, were on Zed).
And then the nerfs came. Zed’s ability to oneshot champions took a blow with the nerfs to Living Shadow after the conclusion of Worlds 2013, and his pick rate plummeted faster than you can say “Faker vs. Ryu”. SKT T1 would enjoy their last tournament win in Champions Winter 2013-14, before fading away from the podium. Now, Zed’s competitors have all taken a hit from the nerfbat, while the players that gave SKT T1 so much trouble have migrated to China. If you missed the SKT T1 hype train the first time around, now is a good time to hop on.
But as a mid lane Kassadin player, this writer hopes that Zed stays down...
Recognize anyone in this photo? Didn’t think so. Yes, dear fans, the Samsung Galaxy that dominated professional League of Legends in 2014 is no more. The ten players of Samsung White and Blue have left for various Chinese teams, along with coach Yoon “Homme” Sung-young. Even the bench is getting in on the transfer action, with Byun “Skatch” Se-hoon joining a few of his teammates on Vici Gaming, while Noh “Gamsu” Yeong-jin is set to play for Team Dignitas in the 2015 NA LCS.
There’s only one phrase that can appropriately describe Samsung’s situation: They’ve been Olafed. Now left with three solo queue talents and a team-hopping bot lane, Samsung are almost completely out of the picture as far as competition is concerned. However, just like with Olaf, Samsung just need one push to tip the scales - if mid laner Park “BlisS” Jong-won is ever allowed his signature Fizz, things could get out of hand real fast.
Also, it helps that the Samsung jackets seem like something Olaf would wear if his Viking tank top/loincloth combo proved to be insufficient protection from the cold.
There are two things I should clear up about this photo: firstly, this is not a concept photo for a Supermodel Ezreal skin, this is just a picture of Lee “Flame” Ho-jong cosplaying as Ezreal. Secondly, Flame isn’t actually a part of CJ Entus anymore, but that doesn’t make this photo any less appropriate.
You see, CJ Entus is the Ezreal of Korean League of Legends. Widely beloved by fans, the subject of many a fanfiction, and for much of history, completely mediocre. As an organization, CJ Entus has only managed three victories on the tournament stage: IEM Hannover 2013, WCG 2013 and NLB Spring 2014 (essentially the fifth-place decider for Korea). The rest of their history consists of early exits in OGN Champions and one shock loss at the hands of MVP Ozone in Champions Spring 2013.
That being said, however, both CJ Entus and Ezreal are on the rise as of recent weeks. Kang “Ambition” Chan-yong’s transition into the jungle has been smoother than expected, while Ezreal is seeing some play in both the mid lane and AD carry positions. For the sake of fangirls all over the world over, this writer hopes that both see success.
Ah, the iconic grin of Cho “Watch” Jae-gol. You know why he’s always smiling? Because he knows he’s going to make it back to the World Championship next year. Since Korean teams first competed in Worlds back in 2012, only one Korean organization has been represented every year - NaJin e-mFire. Like Corki, the NaJin teams have a habit of somehow slipping into Worlds every single year.
Corki just happens to be a strong marksman every time Worlds rolls around, which is strange considering the constant tweaking of other marksmen and Trinity Force. Similarly, NaJin e-mFire are always in the right place at the right time. In 2012, it was their nail-biting 3-2 victory over Azubu Blaze that allowed them to clinch Korea’s second seed. In 2013, their Champions Winter victory gave them just enough circuit points to be seeded. In 2014, their miracle 9-1 run in Korean Regionals against the KT Rolster teams and SK Telecom T1 K gave them their third Worlds ticket.
In the rare event that nothing changes in Korea for the rest of the year, NaJin e-mFire will undoubtedly make it to Worlds again, by virtue of being the best team in Korea. However, Corki is receiving a nerf in Patch 4.21. For the sake of cheekbone appreciators the world over, however, NaJin must divorce themselves from their Corki persona as soon as possible.
They were shaping up to be one of Korea’s better teams heading into 2015, but something went wrong at the Jin Airport. Perhaps it was their loss of coaching staff, or perhaps they just believed in Sion’s power a little too much during their match against NaJin e-mFire. Either way, don’t expect this corpse to rise any time soon.
Take four players who have seen better days, and add a plucky amateur jungler to the mix, and you have the HUYA Tigers. Somehow, they make it work. Likewise, Jarvan IV doesn’t seem to be the kind of champion who would flourish in the new jungle, but against all odds, both HUYA and Jarvan IV are performing better than expected.
The KT Rolster organization has been the unfortunate victim of roster nerfs over the last year, much like our (least?) favorite Void Walker. However, they will pull out the occasional game (or even tournament) that makes you wonder why they ever disappeared to begin with. And then the next game happens, and you remember why.
We all know that guy who always picks Blitzcrank and insists that he is the next MadLife. More often than not, he’ll sit still and get the occasional last hit with Relic Shield in the laning phase, only to miss 90% of his Rocket Grabs. Once in a blue moon, he’ll pull the enemy marksman into your team, and all of his previous sins will be instantly forgiven. Incredible Miracle is basically the Blitzcrank of Korea - terribly average, but still impressive from time to time.
SK Telecom T1 - Zed
If you were to capture the spirit of SK Telecom T1 in one champion, it would be Zed. Not only was Zed the champion with which superstar mid laner Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok captivated the world, SKT T1’s historical performance as a team has been eerily similar to Zed’s popularity as a champion. In the 2013 World Championship, Zed was an essential champion that could not be allowed in the hands of opponents. True to form, SKT T1 completely crushed their opposition, only losing three games in the entire tournament (none of which, obviously, were on Zed).
And then the nerfs came. Zed’s ability to oneshot champions took a blow with the nerfs to Living Shadow after the conclusion of Worlds 2013, and his pick rate plummeted faster than you can say “Faker vs. Ryu”. SKT T1 would enjoy their last tournament win in Champions Winter 2013-14, before fading away from the podium. Now, Zed’s competitors have all taken a hit from the nerfbat, while the players that gave SKT T1 so much trouble have migrated to China. If you missed the SKT T1 hype train the first time around, now is a good time to hop on.
But as a mid lane Kassadin player, this writer hopes that Zed stays down...
Samsung Galaxy - Olaf
Recognize anyone in this photo? Didn’t think so. Yes, dear fans, the Samsung Galaxy that dominated professional League of Legends in 2014 is no more. The ten players of Samsung White and Blue have left for various Chinese teams, along with coach Yoon “Homme” Sung-young. Even the bench is getting in on the transfer action, with Byun “Skatch” Se-hoon joining a few of his teammates on Vici Gaming, while Noh “Gamsu” Yeong-jin is set to play for Team Dignitas in the 2015 NA LCS.
There’s only one phrase that can appropriately describe Samsung’s situation: They’ve been Olafed. Now left with three solo queue talents and a team-hopping bot lane, Samsung are almost completely out of the picture as far as competition is concerned. However, just like with Olaf, Samsung just need one push to tip the scales - if mid laner Park “BlisS” Jong-won is ever allowed his signature Fizz, things could get out of hand real fast.
Also, it helps that the Samsung jackets seem like something Olaf would wear if his Viking tank top/loincloth combo proved to be insufficient protection from the cold.
CJ Entus - Ezreal
There are two things I should clear up about this photo: firstly, this is not a concept photo for a Supermodel Ezreal skin, this is just a picture of Lee “Flame” Ho-jong cosplaying as Ezreal. Secondly, Flame isn’t actually a part of CJ Entus anymore, but that doesn’t make this photo any less appropriate.
You see, CJ Entus is the Ezreal of Korean League of Legends. Widely beloved by fans, the subject of many a fanfiction, and for much of history, completely mediocre. As an organization, CJ Entus has only managed three victories on the tournament stage: IEM Hannover 2013, WCG 2013 and NLB Spring 2014 (essentially the fifth-place decider for Korea). The rest of their history consists of early exits in OGN Champions and one shock loss at the hands of MVP Ozone in Champions Spring 2013.
That being said, however, both CJ Entus and Ezreal are on the rise as of recent weeks. Kang “Ambition” Chan-yong’s transition into the jungle has been smoother than expected, while Ezreal is seeing some play in both the mid lane and AD carry positions. For the sake of fangirls all over the world over, this writer hopes that both see success.
NaJin e-mFire - Corki
Ah, the iconic grin of Cho “Watch” Jae-gol. You know why he’s always smiling? Because he knows he’s going to make it back to the World Championship next year. Since Korean teams first competed in Worlds back in 2012, only one Korean organization has been represented every year - NaJin e-mFire. Like Corki, the NaJin teams have a habit of somehow slipping into Worlds every single year.
Corki just happens to be a strong marksman every time Worlds rolls around, which is strange considering the constant tweaking of other marksmen and Trinity Force. Similarly, NaJin e-mFire are always in the right place at the right time. In 2012, it was their nail-biting 3-2 victory over Azubu Blaze that allowed them to clinch Korea’s second seed. In 2013, their Champions Winter victory gave them just enough circuit points to be seeded. In 2014, their miracle 9-1 run in Korean Regionals against the KT Rolster teams and SK Telecom T1 K gave them their third Worlds ticket.
In the rare event that nothing changes in Korea for the rest of the year, NaJin e-mFire will undoubtedly make it to Worlds again, by virtue of being the best team in Korea. However, Corki is receiving a nerf in Patch 4.21. For the sake of cheekbone appreciators the world over, however, NaJin must divorce themselves from their Corki persona as soon as possible.
Honorable Mentions
Jin Air Green Wings - Sion
They were shaping up to be one of Korea’s better teams heading into 2015, but something went wrong at the Jin Airport. Perhaps it was their loss of coaching staff, or perhaps they just believed in Sion’s power a little too much during their match against NaJin e-mFire. Either way, don’t expect this corpse to rise any time soon.
HUYA Tigers - Jarvan IV
Take four players who have seen better days, and add a plucky amateur jungler to the mix, and you have the HUYA Tigers. Somehow, they make it work. Likewise, Jarvan IV doesn’t seem to be the kind of champion who would flourish in the new jungle, but against all odds, both HUYA and Jarvan IV are performing better than expected.
KT Rolster - Kassadin
The KT Rolster organization has been the unfortunate victim of roster nerfs over the last year, much like our (least?) favorite Void Walker. However, they will pull out the occasional game (or even tournament) that makes you wonder why they ever disappeared to begin with. And then the next game happens, and you remember why.
Incredible Miracle - Blitzcrank
We all know that guy who always picks Blitzcrank and insists that he is the next MadLife. More often than not, he’ll sit still and get the occasional last hit with Relic Shield in the laning phase, only to miss 90% of his Rocket Grabs. Once in a blue moon, he’ll pull the enemy marksman into your team, and all of his previous sins will be instantly forgiven. Incredible Miracle is basically the Blitzcrank of Korea - terribly average, but still impressive from time to time.
